Battle of Thrus-Sanguur
"The sky belongs to the Commonwealth. Let's show those slavers why" -Erika Ibrahim during the battle in the skies of Thrus-Sanguur- The Battle of Thrus-Sanguur (2298/01/01-2298/01/21) was the first planetary invasion done by the forces of the Commonwealth under General Aspinaca against the Yaanari league during the last years of the 23rd century. A complete victory for the Commonwealth, it was mostly decided during the first weeks by Task Force Manticore's heavy bombardment and the work of the fleets fighter squadrons. Lasting less than 20 days, the battle in the planet of Thrus-Sanguur is not only seen as one of the shortest and least bloody invasions in Commonwealth history, but also the first test of the new Commonwealth army after the invasion of Voice. Unlike previous invasion forces, the army led by General Aspinaca was a force composed mostly of battle droids, his organic component being less than half that number in Minervan spiders and a force of 4 million well-trained volunteer infantry. As for the Yaanari forces, the invasion showed their lack of preparation, foresight and morale. Cripped by the heavy bombardment of Task Force Manticore's heavy guns and fighter-bomber squadrons, the Yaanari surface patrol (the core of the defence of Thrus-Sanguur) suffered heavy losses, including a good number of officers, during the early air strikes and performed poorly when faced by the Commonwealth's vanguard elements of droids and spiders. It is said that, of every 4 Yaanari who fought during the battle of Thrus-Sanguur, 1 never fired his or her weapon. Another important aspect of the battle was the involvement of the slaves in the planet before and after Commonwealth forces landed on the surface. Following the advice of Andrea Agrippa (former Yaanari slave and currently pirate-huntress at the service of the Commonwealth) the fleet not only targeted fortified Yaanari positions, but also made sure to send packages of weapons and spec-ops teams to rally the planet's large slave population to fight against their former masters. Many of the slaves who took arms and survived the battle would later form the militia which would hold it after the Commonwealth's army and fleet left to continue the war. Prelude While Task Force Manticore was armed and ready since the start of the war against the Yaanari league, the same could not be said for the Commonwealth's ground forces. Disbanded after the heavy casualties against the Biluan Mind in the planet of Voice, the army who fought in the battle of Thrus-Sanguur was a new force in more ways that one. Instead of heavy use of clones or assault armies, combat droids were chosen as the core of this invasion force. Working at top speed, factories in Ortus, Curacao and New Sajar produced 12 million units of the new Raywater 2 Battledroid, while in the planet of Minerva close to 5 million of their genetically-modified spiders were provided to the war effort, with handlers to keep them under control. Still, the Commander-in-chief of this force, General Aspinaca, demanded to have at least a reserve of volunteer soldiers, well-trained and armed, to take part in those complex and delicate operations neither the droids not the spiders could take part in. The Commonwealth's high command agreed, but only after making changes to the standards required to become part of this volunteer force. New recruits not only had to be healthy, but mentally-prepared as well and able to pass a number of tests to see if they truly were battle-ready. The Yaanari, in the meantime, were neither ready nor equiped for the incoming invasion. Focusing most of their resources on their fleet, little was given to build fortifications and extra land armies. Moreover, their surface patrol suffered from lack of equipment, corruption and lack of competent officers, as most of them chose to become part of the fleet instead. The only competent, trained and equiped force in Thrus-Sanguur was, aside from the small core of Judges who kept the law, was the airforce deployed on the planet to counter any ships trying to land on its surface. With bases hidden in mountains and cliffs, they were (in theory at least) ready to resist the first round of bombardment and then strike at those heavy, troop ships trying to deliver their cargo to the planet. Bombardment Knowing they would be facing a larger and far stronger fleet, the Yaanari's combat ships left the system as Task Force Manticore prepared for the bombardment of Thrus-Sanguur. Admiral Ibrahim, commander of the fleet and a veteran of a dozen similar operations, made sure to scan the planet's surface several times before directing bombardment operations against it. Working in the admiral's command staff, the pirate huntress Andrea Agrippa provided intel of what the landing forces would expect when landing on the Yaanari-held world. Knowing full well that the defender's land forces were not trained or motivated enough to face Aspinaca's forces, Andrea adviced the admiral to direct her fire, and that of her bomber squadrons, to the airfields and command structures of the Yaanari defence force. Moreover, she volunteered herself and some of her crew to secretly land with squads of special forces and large numbers of weapon and ammunition to equip and rally the planet's slave population against their masters. Being a former slave, Andrea Agrippa knew of the hardships of life in chains under the Yaanari and how hard the slaves would fight to get back at their former owners if they were given the chance to do so. After giving the pirate huntress her blessing, Ibrahim and her second in command, Fidelia Levassor, chose their targets and organized the fleet so different squads would direct their shells and lasers to one target or another. Making good use of Agrippa's information, this bombardment not only brought down the defender's morale, but also caused high numbers of casualties amongst the Yaanari command structure, leaving the defending army headless and oblivious as to what they were supossed to do. Duels in the sky While bombardment of Yaanari positions was performed well by Task Force Manticore, Admiral Ibrahim knew the weapons in her ships would not be able to harm the Yaanari's fighter squadrons enough to prevent them from attacking Aspinaca's forces during landing. Some bases of the Yaanari surface patrol were so well-hidden, even the best sensors in the fleet's capital ships could not detect their location. To counter this, squadrons of fighters and fighter bombers were sent down through the planet's atmosphere to find these hidden bases and deal with any Yaanari pilot who dared to stand on their way. Led by the admiral's own daughter, Erika Ibrahim, these squads fought fiercely against their Yaanari foes, fighting them off and then chasing after them as they tried to return to their bases. Quickly learning about her enemies' tactics, Erika ordered her fighters to always leave some enemy survivors during their dogfights so they could follow them and bombard their bases. Even as night fell, the sky over the planet was lighted up by explosions as Commonwealth pilots fought against Yaanari Void Predators. During one of these fights, Erika Ibrahim herself was ambushed by several Yaanari pilots. She managed to blow two out of the sky and force another to make an emergency landing before a well-placed shot pierced the shields of her fighter. Just before it blew into flames, Erika managed to exit the cabin while her squadmates dealt with the Void Predator which had managed to bring her down. The captain would quickly go into hiding after landing, avoiding that way those Yaanari patrols sent to capture and interrogate her. 128 Commonwealth pilots lost their lives fighting in the sky of Thrus-Sanguur, with 45 being forced to leave their fighter planes after being hit. Compared to this, the Yaanari lost a total of 2000 fighters and other planes, most of them in their bases as fighter bombers found where they were hidden and fired before they could take off. The new Spartacus It is difficult to say what admiral Ibrahim felt when news arrived of what had happened to her daughter. Famously cold and distant, she showed no emotion, choosing instead to retire to her office while her second, Fidelia, dealt with the planet's bombardment. The animosity between mother and daughter was well known amongst the fleet, yet still few doubted the news that Erika was alone, in enemy territory and hunted down by vengeful Yaanari patrols, did not sit well with the admiral. The next day after news arrived, to the surprise of many, Fidelia asked her admiral to join Andrea Agrippa and her spec-ops team for their operations. While oficially she did so to provide a link with Task Force Manticore and assure the freed slaves that they had the full backing of the Commonwealth, the truth was Fidelia chose to join the mission to enemy territory to find the admiral's daughter before the Yaanari did. Knowing her superior's feelings even better than she did, Fidelia knew the admiral would feel far less worried knowing that someone she trusted would be there to find and protect her daughter. Thus, as Fidelia joined the team, Ibrahim returned to the command room, to continue with the planet's bombardment. Following Andrea's instructions, the Commonwealth's forces and supplies landed on farmlands to the planet's South hemisphere. As expected, due to the bombardment, the fields were empty of slaves or masters, the former currently held in their barracks while the latter took arms and hid in their bunkers. The former slave took Fidelia and the spec-ops squads across fields and settlements, taking secret paths and hidden ways which almost made it look like the pirate-huntress had been born in the planet. Twice, two deal with Yaanari milita, she played the role of a slave looking for her master to distract them and allow the Commonwealth soldiers to slay the surprised militia without raising the alarm. For Andrea, getting the slaves to fight against their masters was child's play. Staring with isolated populations first, she soon managed to create a force of nearly 5000 freed Uri, Alir and even human former slaves, each one now armed with a mixture of Commonwealth weapons and those they had stolen from their former captors. Led by professional soldiers from the spec ops team and with Fidelia making sure they would always have close air support, this slave force fought and defeated those Yaanari columns sent to stop them, each victory adding more and more slaves to Andrea's force. As they marched North, a larger, better equiped force made of Yaanari militia and surface patrols managed to face and force back the freed force. The battle which ensued was a mixture of hit-and-run tactics and last stands, as the Yaanari tried to surround and isolate slave groups and get them back under chains. To the surprise of the Commonwealth's forces and the Yaanari themselves however, a new slave force appeared from the Yaanari's rear, forcing them to flee and leave much of their equipment in an attempt not to be encircled themselves. Leading this force was just the person Fidelia had been looking for. Erika herself. As slave forces cheered and celebrated their victory over their masters, Fidelia went to greet the pilot with a sly grin on her face. "So there you are Erika! I can´t believe you, your mother and I worried sick about you while you throw a party with your pals" The invasion Forces at the ready The weeks waiting for the invasion to begin had not been idle one's for General Aspinaca. Following closely the bombardments and those reports sent by the growing slave forces on the planet's surface, the general realized that shock and awe, rather than heavy firepower, would be the true key to victory. Taking a page from General Branicki's book, Aspinaca made sure to place his swarms of spiders at the head of the invasion, followed very close by combat droids. His 4 million volunteers, in the meantime, would be sent on the second wave to secure gained ground and deliver a series of precise attacks on whatever Yaanari line still held after the vanguard's assault. With the Yaanari's fighter force all but extinct, heavy troop ships and drop pods began to land all across the Southern continent to link up with the slave forces and destroy any Yaanari forces still fighting there. Unleash terror Battered, without proper commanders and still trying to organize themselves, the Yaanari militia and surface patrol were not ready when the first Commonwealth troop ships unleashed swarms of bear-sized, crazed Minervan spiders against them. Moving like an ord of sharp legs and mouths filled with hundreds of tiny fangs, the sight and sheer brutality of the spider's assault caught the defenders completely by surprise. Even when standing on walls and the roofs of large buildings, the spiders kept coming, using their claws and legs to climb the stone and reach their terrified victims. Moving not to far away, silent phalanxes of battledroids followed the spiders, their mortarts bombarding any formation of Yaanari soldiers which still held, even after the spider's attack. Moving at the same pace and almost in line formation, the droids unleashed heavy volleys of disciplined fire against their attackers, marching forth even as the Yaanari's counter fire managed to bring a number of them down. By the time the second wave arrived, the Yaanari forces had started to fall back or just flee as they tried to avoid a gruesome death at the hands of mutant spiders and fearless automatons. As the war continued, a joke was made amongst those soldiers fighting in the Commonwealth army: "How much ground can our army conquer in one day?" "Depends on how fast a Yaanari can run" Most of Aspinaca's volunteer soldiers spent half the time training and organizing freed slaves and the other half taking in Yaanari prisoners fleeing from the Commonwealth's vanguard. Fifteen days after the first spider had landed on the planet's surface, only small groups of judges and a few Yaanari regiments still continued to face the Commonwealth's advance. At the end of the 20th day, the last stronghold fell to one of the army's Karthemas auxiliary banners, ending the battle and the last remains of Yaanari resistance. Aftermath Suffering only very slight losses, both Task Force Manticore and the Commonwealth's invasion force were in no time ready to continue with their war against the league. Knowing he could not leave the planet without a garrison however, General Aspinaca freed all slaves previously under Yaanari chains and gave those who had fought under Andrea Agrippa and Erika Ibrahim the right to keep their weapons and act as the planet's new militia force. Local Yaanaris protested about this development, protests which were easily ignored by Aspinaca and the rest of the army staff. On a more personal level, after the battle of Thrus-Sanguur, Admiral Ibrahim and her daughter met again and finally managed to reconcile (thanks in no small part to the efforts and insistance of Fidelia). Category:Battles Category:Battles involving the Commonwealth